UN Expert: Saudi Arabia Undermined Khashoggi Probe

GENEVA — A U.N. human rights expert said Thursday that Saudi Arabia undermined Turkey's efforts to investigate the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which she described as a "brutal and premeditated killing'' planned and carried out by Saudi officials.

Agnes Callamard, the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, made her assessment Thursday after visiting Turkey.

Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist who wrote critically about Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. His remains have not been found.

During its Jan. 28-Feb. 3 trip to Turkey, Callamard's four-member team met with the foreign and justice ministers, the country's intelligence chief and the prosecutor leading the case.

Callamard concluded that "Turkey's efforts to apply prompt, effective and thorough, independent and impartial, and transparent investigations — in line with international law — had been seriously curtailed and undermined by Saudi Arabia,'' the U.N. human rights office in Geneva said in a statement.